The Derby della Capitale has always been a fiery affair and there was tension outside the stadium with rocks thrown at the Lazio team bus and a Biancocelesti supporter stabbed in the buttocks.

Francesco Totti sat out a four-match ban after his red card in last season's Final, so Adriano got a rare start with Leandro Greco. New Lazio signing Giuseppe Sculli was on the bench.

Tempers flared after just 19 minutes with Stefan Radu booked for raising an extremely high foot that kicked Nicolas Burdisso in the face. Daniele De Rossi then got involved in a brief scuffle.

Julio Sergio somehow parried Libor Kozak's volley off the line from point-blank range, meeting Cristian Brocchi's cross. De Rossi was booked for persistent fouling, concluding with a futile and nasty tackle on Alvaro Gonzalez.

Giuseppe Biava had a horrible fall on to his head and neck after an aerial collision with Adriano, but was very fortunate to escape unharmed. Juan risked an own goal when nodding down at the back post and Julio Sergio needed two attempts to get a fierce Hernanes free kick under control.

Panic in first half stoppages when Kozak got to the Hernanes cross first, leaving Julio Sergio stranded, but Juan used his strength to prevent the young striker getting the loose ball.

Jeremy Menez came off the bench and within 40 seconds Radu risked a second yellow card for bringing him down. Philippe Mexes and Brocchi then got into a tussle, while Andre Dias nodded just wide of the target.

A John Arne Riise strike was deflected into the path of Matteo Brighi and moments later Riise's cross was charged down by Stephan Lichtsteiner's arm. It was stretched quite far away from his body. Marco Borriello stepped up to send Tommaso Berni the wrong way and convert the penalty.

The celebrations were barely over when Mauro Zarate was hacked down by Juan as he burst into the box for a penalty at the other end. Hernanes buried it with a stuttering run-up to draw Lazio level.

Kozak scuffed the Brocchi pull-back from six yards, but Roma went in front again thanks to a defensive howler.

Fabio Simplicio pounced when Radu intercepted a Menez run, but poked it right into the path of the Brazilian to go clear and side-foot it past the goalkeeper.

Lazio looked like equalising immediately, but Sergio Floccari sprung the offside trap on a Hernanes chip for a chest and volley that skimmed the crossbar.

Tommaso Berni got down well to palm a Mirko Vucinic snapshot round the near post, but Lazio had penalty appeals for a Brighi handling offence, though it would've been extremely harsh, as it was ball-to-upper-arm from point-blank range.

Julio Sergio committed himself to run after Zarate, so Mexes needed a desperate header to stop a Lazio player tapping into the empty net. A Mark Bresciano screamer skimmed the crossbar, but it was too little, too late.

Roma qualify for the Coppa Italia quarter-finals and win their fourth consecutive derby.